Godred Olafsson

Who was Godred Olafsson?

Godred Olafsson, also known as Godred II, was a 12th-century King of Mann and the Isles. His father, Olaf Godredsson, ruled the island-kingdom before him as did Godred's paternal-grandfather, Godred Crovan, who was also the King of Dublin. Some secondary sources style Godred Olafsson and his predecessors "King of Mann", or "King of Mann and the Isles". However these terms are anachronistic with Godred styling himself "King of the Isles". During his father's reign, Godred was sent to Norway to render homage to Inge Haraldsson, King of Norway. In 1153, while Godred was still in Norway, Olaf was assassinated by three of his brother's sons, who then took control of Mann. The following autumn, Godred returned from Norway and regained the kingdom, putting one of his treacherous cousins to death and blinding the other two.

Godred's sister was married to Somerled, Lord of Argyll. In 1154, Godred and Somerled fought an inconclusive naval battle, and the Kingdom of the Isles was divided between the two. This division lasted for over a century until the death of Godred's grandson, the last of the Crovan dynasty of kings. Somerled attacked again in 1158 and drove Godred from the kingdom. Godred appears to have fled to England and later spent time in Scotland before sailing for Norway. He is recorded as taking part in the ongoing dynastic strife in Norway and playing a significant part in the downfall of Inge. According to saga accounts of the Battle of Oslo, Godred betrayed Inge during the battle, which ended in Inge's defeat and death in 1161. Some years later, on the death of Somerled in 1164, the Chronicle of Mann records that Mann was invaded by Godred's younger brother, Ragnvald who was defeated less than a week later when Godred once more took control. About twenty years later, Godred and the Manxmen successfully fought off another invasion led by yet another man named Ragnvald.